Flood Monitoring

The impact of climate change is now undeniable with extreme and unseasonal weather a frequent occurrence. Prolonged dry spells and excess rain or snowfall lend themselves to flooding.  

The combined effect of storm surges and flooding provide real risk to property and potential harm to citizens.  Make use of our consultancy support to help improve preparedness and climate mitigation. The University of Stirling can provide data for insights with both historic flood data and near-real time flood extent.

Sector benefits

  • Government agencies: Monitor risk from floods and extreme weather, trigger warnings and plan for infrastructure. 
  • Disaster response: On the ground intelligence to help protect people and property from harm during flooding or extreme weather events.  
  • Insurance: Assess risk based on historic geographic data. 
  • Environmental agencies: Monitor environment for extreme weather impact.

Satellite Flood Occurrence Mapping

To plan for the future, you need to understand the past. We can provide historic flood incident maps for the last decade, in an easy to access format to aid planning. As well as flood extent we can report on frequency. Gaining a better understanding of what has happened provides an evidence base for future planning decisions for place-making.

Satellite flood monitoring in near real-time

Flooding events can introduce pollutants, sediments, and debris into water systems, compromising quality. Near real-time monitoring provides: 

  • Early detection of changes in water levels and quality, enabling swift responses. 
  • Actionable insights to help manage water resources and reduce the risk of contamination. 
  • Support for emergency response teams through timely alerts and accurate data. 

With the advantages of earth observation, our scientists can provide high-resolution satellite imagery to monitor flooding, anywhere in the world. This includes vast, remote and inaccessible areas (such as coastlines, salt marshes) which are easily observed from space. Near-real time flooding reports are offered globally across the UK, Europe, Africa, Asia, America and beyond.

Floods, surges and droughts. Professor Andrew Tyler on how the SIEC is looking at solutions to the threats from water due to climate change.

Case Study: Scottish Environment Protection Agency

We provide early warning information to SEPA, Scotland's principal environmental regulator, on floods and drought in areas at risk of coastal, river and flash flooding.

SEPA logo

Technical water innovations used by the University of Stirling

  • We’ve developed a breakthrough Delft3D FM hydrological and hydrodynamic model of the Forth which follows the full water course from rivers to estuaries and the coast.   
  • A high-resolution X-band rainfall radar is sited at Forth Valley College, Alloa. It outperforms conventional rain gauge networks providing precise, reliable and localised weather detection, with capabilities exceeding those of the national MET office.  
  • We make use of RiverTrack, an established river level monitoring system, which provides timely flood alerts to local communities, allowing time for preparation and preventative action.  
  • To continually enhance modelling we ingest data from local weather stations.  

Contact us

Let’s discuss how we can support your organisation.